Checkatrade Trophy: Swansea U21s 2 Wolves U21s 1 - Report

Christian Herc's excellent early strike put Wolves in charge and they edged the first half, writes Tim Spiers at the Liberty Stadium.

But Swansea striker Oliver McBurnie levelled things up straight after the break - and the same player's late header broke Wolves' hearts.

Analysis

It's been a great run for Wolves in this competition.

But just as they might have started allowing themselves to dream of an unlikely trip to Wembley - the club's first for 29 years - Swansea broke their hearts.

It was always going to be a tough ask against the league leaders in Wolves' under-23 division.

As has been the case in almost every Checkatrade Trophy game for wolves so far, it was full of high quality football - and no little drama.

Sadly for Scott Sellars team this time, though, it was the Swans who ended up on top with a late winner.

Sellars can be deeply proud of his young charges. Missing several of their regulars they edged the first half and created as many chances as the hosts, whose star man Oliver McBurnie proved the difference with two goals.

Wolves, cheered on by up to 200 fans who had made the long journey to Wales (many taking advantage of the club's generous offer of free coach travel) showed the heart and spirit - as well as the talent - that has defined their campaign in the competition, and indeed their season at under-23 level.

They may have lost at Liberty Stadium but there's no doubt that more of these players will graduate to Paul Lambert's first team, which is what it's all about.

Many could make the grade but the roaming trio of Christian Herc, Will Randall and Nicu Carnat look best-placed.

Sellars selected a depleted side at the Liberty.

Connor Ronan has starred in this competition so far but an ankle knock picked up in his full first-team debut at Sheffield Wednesday meant he wasn't risked while Bright Enobakhare, now a regular under Lambert, didn't travel.

The likes of Sylvain Deslandes, Ross Finnie and Donovan Wilson also weren't involved.

Morgan Gibbs-White, who became one of Wolves' youngest ever first-team players at Stoke on Saturday, started, as did Harry Burgoyne who recently deputised for Carl Ikeme.

Aaron Collins, recently back from a loan spell at Notts County, started up front while Bradley Reid and Ben O'Hanlon, who've just returned from Telford, were on the bench.

As for Swansea, their team was primarily made up of youngsters, aside from Gambia international Mo Barrow and 38-year-old keeper Gerhard Tremmel. Of Wolves' starting XI, you could double any player's age bar right-back Aaron Simpson and they still wouldn't be older than Tremmel.

Wolves began on the front foot, taking the game to Swansea, and created a couple of early chances before Christian Herc brilliantly beat Tremmel from 20 yards.

Every single outfield player, as has been the case throughout this competition, celebrated wildly with the Slovakian-born midfielder, who has a good chance of being the next to graduate into Paul Lambert's squad.

Those celebrations have been a feature of Wolves' run in the Checkatrade and show the close-knit nature of the squad, which has been together for a couple of years now.

It was also his third goal of the competition, putting him level with Enobakhare.

The rest of the half was a fairly even affair, if slightly edged by Wolves, although both teams should have found the scoresheet.

Slack finishing from Wolves' Aaron Collins and Swansea's Daniel James and Owain Jones meant it remained 1-0 to Sellars' side at the break.

Swansea currently sit top of the under-23 league that they are Wolves are in - and therefore it was no surprise that they improved rapidly after the break.

They took just 90 seconds to level things up when Oliver McBurnie, who also scored at Molineux in August when Swansea won 4-0 in a pre-season friendly, stabbed home from close range after a right-wing cross wasn't dealt with.

The Swans had Wolves on the ropes for the next 10 minutes and Tyler Reid should have doubled their lead.

But Wolves weathered the storm and the game tightened up, with both teams acutely aware there wasn't the safety net of extra time with the game going straight to penalties if level after 90 minutes.

Then on 74 minutes they traded two brilliant chances in the space of 60 seconds - McBurnie's header hitting the post before substitute Bradley Reid was denied by Tremmel when clear in the box.

The game opened up again and the game was poised on a knife edge, but dangerman McBurnie, two minutes after his overhead kick was brilliantly saved by Burgoyne, nodded home a cross to win it for the Swans.

Despite there being six minutes of injury time Wolves couldn't muster a response.

Key moments

7 - Patient probing from Wolves who knock it around in the Swansea third. The ball comes to Christian Herc who fires into the side netting from the left of the box.

13 - GOAL - Great work from Will Randall who beats two players and plays to Herc who sets himself and strikes low and true into the net from 20 yards. Swansea keeper Gerhard Tremmel didn't move.

18 - Almost 1-1 but Daniel James skews his 15 yard shot wide for Swansea.

29 - James again is free to shoot in the Wolves box - this time Harry Burgoyne makes a smart save low down to his right.

32 - Good chance for 2-0 but Aaron Collins crashes his shot wide after breaking into the box on the right.

38 - Substitute Owain Jones really should equalise but sends a six-yard header across goal and wide.

38 - Wolves go straight up the other end and Randal purposefully runs towards the area before sending a tame shot at Tremmel.

46 - GOAL - A cross from the right isn't dealt with and Oliver McBurnie prods home from close range to level the tie.

54 - Swansea right-back Tyler Reid sidefoots a shot inches past the post. Wolves are on the ropes.

73 - A left-wing corner is met by McBurnie whose header bounces off the post. A big let off for Wolves.

74 - Substitute Bradley Reid brilliantly controls a long pas into the box - he's in on goal but can't quite round the keeper and the chance goes begging.

85 - Dangerman McBurnie attempts a spectacular overhead kick which Burgoyne tips over at full stretch. The same player then heads the resulting corner wide.

87 - GOAL - It's that man McBurnie again who heads home a cross from the right and his header bounces in off the post.

Teams

Swansea (4-2-3-1): Tremmel; Reid, Rodon, Davies (c), Lewis; Holland (Evans, 77), Maric; Barrow (Jones, 29), Byers, James; McBurnie. Subs: Zabret, Dyson, Garrick, Bray, Plezier.

Goals: McBurnie (47, 86)

Wolves (4-2-3-1): Burgoyne; Simpson (O'Hanlon, 63), Hayden, Johnson (c), Breslin; Levingston (McKenna, 77), Gibbs-White; Carnat, Herc, Randall; Collins (Reid, 67). Subs: Ruddy, Leak, John, Armstrong.

Goal: Herc (13)

Referee: Tim Robinson